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Order Of Eternity
"In the beginning..." The Order of Eternity is a rare but powerful Order of Adepts who possess mastery over Time itself. At the height of their power, they can stop Time, play it backwards or cause it to fast-forward into the future. They can even choose to travel back and forth through history, witnessing the pivotal events that shaped the modern world. Of course, such awesome power does not come without responsibility. While the Watchmen are granted the power to control Time, they are also entrusted with safeguarding the established timeline of history. There are forces out there besides the Order who would manipulate the past in order to change the future. These forces must be opposed, or the ensuing chaos could tear asunder the very fabric of our reality. Aspect of God: Author Of Time AKA: The Watchmen, the Watchers, the Eternal Order, the Chronos Order, the Order Millenium, the Keepers of History, Kings of Time, etc. Essene Degrees Facts: -Watchmen who attempt to fast forward "all the way" to either the beginning or end of time... return home with strange visions and an incoherent memory? -A trick Watchmen love to do is run away from a confrontation, then keep looping back through time until there are several 'versions' of them to confront the problem. Of course, they have to be careful because using this ability too often may result in a Paradox. -Watchmen can "spy" on persons or locations by remaining "stuck" in the flux of the time Continuum, existing simultaneously in two places in time at once (but neither fully, which causes them to appear ghost-like and immaterial). However, doing this requires concentration and time to prepare mentally. Afterwards, they will be physically exhausted. -Watchmen who gain enough skill in manipulating Time can use it to affect their own physical bodies. In some cases, they can choose how old they are by aging or de-aging their own bodies. And the oldest and strongest of the Eternal Order are said to be able to stave off the aging process entirely, making them functionally immortal. Continuum: The Continuum is the established timeline of events, ostensibly the plan set down by God Almighty at the moment of galactic creation. Some Watchmen adhere to different schools of theology and metaphysics, but most adhere to some variation of this idea, that their entire Order was founded by God to watch over and safeguard the Continuum from those who would disrupt it. The exact details of the Continuum are etheric and sophisticated, just like history itself. A major headache about the Continuum is simply how much of history is actually 'necessary?' Given the demands set down by the Wheel of Ages, it appears that certain events in history are simply meant to happen, no matter what. However, much of the rest of history if really up for grabs. Paradox: A gross violation of the Continuum will result in Paradox, a tearing of the space-time fabric that underpins our material universe. Paradox is extraordinarily dangerous because it is both highly destructive and yet difficult to discern or anticipate. Paradox can result from several different acts but usually is a result of time-travelers mucking with the established events of history. While minor changes to the flow of history are negligible, or are incorporated by the Wheel of Ages, major violations can result in a jarring cosmic event that can see indviduals, events, or even entire countries re-written or erased from Time itself! Paradoxes result in the Continuum struggling to correct itself, often leading to people or places being changed in some manner. In major cases, people may simply never have been born, their souls essentially kept from materializing in our world. Paradox is particularly dangerous towards Watchmen because the wake of confusion it leaves in the Continuum often affects a Watchmen's abilities. Watchmen trying to clean up after a Paradox may find themselves stripped of their powers, or worse, they may find themselves unable to control their own abilities and flung far across Time. Isolated: Because of the absolute importance of safeguarding the Continuum, Watchmen are often very xenophobic. They rarely mingle with other Supernaturals, often shunning even their fellow Adepts. The temptation to try and weaponize Time itself is a great one, and many Watchmen have been coerced by those who should have been their comrades into affecting massive changes in history. As such, the Order of Eternity tends to keep to itself. There are a few notable examples, such as the Lords of Infinity or the Prefectory of the Rosae Crucis, but they are clearly the exception to the rule. Of course, this conversely means that Watchmen are very united as an organization. The fact that only other Watchmen can be trusted to truly appreciate the danger posed by Paradoxes means that the members of the Eternal Order look to each other first and foremost for help and camaraderie. Phantom Time: Wheel of Ages: The Wheel of Ages is a cosmic-level entity, created by God to safeguard the Continuum and ensure that Paradox does not destabilize creation. The Wheel of Ages is appropriately named, for it always takes the form of some cycling mechanism or swirling mass of energy. The exact powers of the Wheel of Ages are unknown, but they are clearly vast in both nature and scope. The Wheel of Ages is charged with safeguarding the flow of Time across the Omniverse, and it appears to possess some powers of manipulation over events within existence. Minor changes to history are often incorporated by the Wheel of Ages, effectively smoothed over and made to be harmless to the Continuum itself. Such 'editing' power would require vast amounts of processing capability and unimaginable levels of energy to carry it all out. This vast amount of power is ironic given that the Wheel of Ages, by dint of its own vocation, does as little as possible to interfere with events in the various Realms itself. Indeed, for such an incredibly powerful being, the Wheel of Ages goes to great lengths not to get involved, and it chastises its Watchmen if they forget themselves and begin to immerse too far into the events they are supposed to be witnessing. The Wheel of Ages is the major patron to the Order of Eternity and it directs the actions of the Watchmen. Indeed, it often demands their attention and will go so far as to punish them should they ignore it. Similarly, any Watchman who abuses his powers had best keep a wary lookout, for he will become enemy number one for the rest of the Order, and the Wheel of Ages specifically. It should be noted that the Wheel of Ages is in charge of ALL Continuums. Across the Omniverse, there are an infinite number of Realms (dimensions) with effectively each of them possessing their own Continuum or established flow of events. Because of this, the Wheel of Ages is also a patron of the Lords of Infinity, and the Watchmen make up a large chunk of that Chapter's membership. The Wheel of Ages often communicates telepathically with its Watchmen, giving them instructions and warning them of violations of the Continuum that could result in Paradox. The Wheel is also known to drop hints or give advice on certain subjects, revealing that it feels a paternal sense of responsibility for the Eternal Order everywhere. Masters of History: Blast from the Past: Essenes are often privy to the truth about famous historical events or movements. Things lost, or altered accounts, by historians can be proven true or false by those armed with the power to manipulate time itself. Sometimes, if you think someone has cooked the books, visiting the nearest Essene monastery library is the best move. Future Technology: Fighting the Essenes may not be as easy as some think. While the image of itinerant monks makes some people think of them as weak and weaponless, the fact of the matter is that their access to time travel allows them to arm up with the latest in weaponry... decades if not centuries into the future. Armories of future tech exist in guarded locales around the world, places known only to fellow members of the Order. References: -http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/physics/traveling-through-time.html -http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095709/ -http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0300556/ -The Greatest Adventures -http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/religion/portrait/essenes.html -https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Gtf0yXLI7A Category:Prefectory Category:Time